Washington whitewater - American River, Northern Cascade Range, Yakima County Yakima county, American Forks to Sawmill Flat section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II+     5 miles   The American Forks to Sawmill Flat section of American River in Yakima County is 5 miles long and is a class II+ section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Washington are harder than the national norm, so you'd better keep in mind that rivers here are less forgiving. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. This stretch is mid length, you can easily run it on an afternoon. The Northern Cascade Range scenery is wonderful.     And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. The scenic beauty of Yakima County and the cool fresh water beats anything. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking around here you'll find a large number of good places. This river system has a few good paddling stretches and the American Forks to Sawmill Flat section is one of them. A good workout and just hanging out with mother nature have a lot of people coming here. Briefly about the general area: Take a hike on the Quartz Creek Trail, and don't leave American River without first paying a visit to Willow Springs. American River gets a large amount of water; the month with most of the rain is January; July on the other hand is the driest. But wait, there's more fun things to do in the Northern Cascade Range. Have a magnificent hiking adventure along the Kaner   Flat Trail; a journey to Horsetail Falls will fill your spirit with brilliant feelings. This river is so great. Through the long summer days at American River temperatures are frequently in the 70's. Summer night lows dip down to the 40's. High temperatures throughout the winter are normally in the 30's with temperatures at American River dipping down into the 20's during winter nights. American River, American Forks to Sawmill Flat road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II+ Length: 5 miles Average Gradient: 54 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 46.97792 Longitude: -121.16763 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 46.97547 Longitude: -121.09767 Paddler input for American River, Washington: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at American River, Northern Cascade Range, Washington Local climate location: GREENWATER 17 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum 15 miles away Set on the sunny eastern slopes of the Cascades alongside the sparkling waters of the Cle Elum River and surrounded by pristine pine forest-Suncadia offers the ultimate luxury mountain resort experien... Stewart Lodge, Cle Elum 16 miles away The Stewart Lodge offers a wide range of rooms and amenities to make us your recreational or business spot all year around. Our rooms are exceptionally large and include unique pine furniture, microw... Best Western Snowcap Lodge, Cle Elum 16 miles away The contemporary Best Western Snowcap Lodge is centrally located on the eastern slopes of the cascade mountains. We are easily accessible from Interstate 90, just a short 90 minute drive from Seattle....   Northern Cascade Range Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Northern Cascade Range. Northern Cascade Range Outdoors Info Complete outdoors info for the Northern Cascade Range. All Washington Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Washington. Books about whitewater paddling on American River, Washington List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on American River, Washington. Find a whitewater outfitter in Washington Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Ellensburg, Washington Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Ellensburg, Washington, the metro area neareast to American River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near American River.   Whitewater Near American River: Little Naches River, Yakima/Kittitas County , 3 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 9.5 miles long (Matthew Creek to Little Naches Campground) American River, Yakima County , 6 miles away, Class III-IV - 4.7 miles long (Hell's Crossing to American Forks) Bumping River, Yakima County , 7 miles away, Class II - 10.5 miles long (Bumping Reservoir to American River) Rattlesnake Creek - Naches Tributary, Yakima County , 12 miles away, Class III - 7.7 miles long (North Fork to Nile Road Bridge) Cle Elum River, Kittitas County , 13 miles away, Class II - 7.8 miles long (Cle Elum Dam to confluence with Yakima River) American River, -blank- County , 14 miles away, Class II-III+ - 7.5 miles long (Lodgepole Campground to Hell's Crossing) Tieton River, Yakima County , 16 miles away, Class III+ - 11.5 miles long (Rimrock Reservoir to Windy Point Campground) Tieton River - South Fork, Yakima County , 18 miles away, Class IV(V+) - 5.7 miles long (Grey Creek Campground to Rimrock Lake) Naches River, Yakima County , 19 miles away, Class II-III - 34 miles long (Sawmill Flat to bl. Town of Naches) Cle Elum River, Kittitas County , 19 miles away, Class II - 4 miles long (Salmon La Sac Creek to Cle Elum Reservoir)   Ski Areas Near American River: Crystal Mountain, Washington , 24 miles away, 3100 vertical feet White Pass, Washington , 24 miles away, 1500 vertical feet Snoqualmie, Washington , 28 miles away, 1100 vertical feet Alpental, Washington , 30 miles away, 2280 vertical feet Stephens Pass, Washington , 36 miles away, 1800 vertical feet Mission Ridge, Washington , 53 miles away, 2200 vertical feet Cooper Spur, Oregon , 81 miles away, 500 vertical feet Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon , 86 miles away, 2777 vertical feet Echo Valley, Washington , 87 miles away, 900 vertical feet Timberline Lodge, Oregon , 87 miles away, 3590 vertical feet   Hotels Near American River: Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum , 15 miles away Stewart Lodge, Cle Elum , 16 miles away Best Western Snowcap Lodge, Cle Elum , 16 miles away Cle Elum Travelers Inn, Cle Elum , 18 miles away Mandarin Oriental Washington, Washington , 32 miles away   Camp Grounds Near American River: Indian Flat Campground, Yakima County, 1 miles away Kaner Flat Campground, Kittitas County, 2 miles away Cedar Springs Campground, Yakima County, 2 miles away   Trails Near American River: Quartz Creek Trail, Kittitas County , 4 miles away, 6.6 hiking miles, 3413 feet elevation difference Kaner Flat Trail, Kittitas County , 5 miles away, 7.3 hiking miles, 4400 feet elevation difference Manastash Ridge Trail, Kittitas County , 5 miles away, 4.2 hiking miles, 798 feet elevation difference Mount Cliffty Trail, Kittitas County , 6 miles away,  9.8 hiking miles, 3795 feet elevation difference Fifes Ridge Trail, Yakima County , 6 miles away, 13 hiking miles, 4581 feet elevation difference North Fork Taneum Trail, Kittitas County , 8 miles away,  18 hiking miles, 2630 feet elevation difference Little Creek Basin Trail, Kittitas County , 8 miles away,  8.2 hiking miles, 1369 feet elevation difference   National Parks Near American River: Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford - WA , 60 miles away